Probable cause vs police found in Espinosa killing

Refusing to divulge contents of its report, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) on Thursday said it recommended sanctions against policemen involved in the fatal shooting of jailed former Albuera (Leyte) Mayor Rolando Espinosa and another inmate.

Napolcom Vice Chairman Rogelio Casurao said the commission found probable cause to issue the recommendation based on the pieces of evidence gathered when former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Region 8 head Supt. Marvin Marcos and his team served a search warrant on Espinosa who was killed in the Leyte provincial jail last November 5.

Casurao, however, added that they would give way to the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Internal Affairs Office (PNP-IAS) to announce and release the finding, since the IAS went to the crime scene, noting that the office is in a better position to announce the findings being more aware of the actual ground situation.

The PNP-IAS has concluded its preliminary conference on the case and is slated to come up with a resolution on whether to dismiss police officers or spare them from any liability this February.

Based on its investigation, Casurao said they have discovered lapses and other violations of standard operating procedures when Marcos’ team served the search warrant on Espinosa inside the jail facility.

According to him, there was a breach of standard police procedures in serving the search warrant and the use of excessive force.

He pointed out the lack of coordination between members of the operating team and their superiors as well as the jail officers. JING VILLAMENTE